Great woman approved

Strictly speaking the products and the philosophy behind this company have nothing to do with great women or women at all – it’s just so amazing how almost everything in this world has been developed to meet the needs of the white male. Until now.

Not a Laurence Fellows illustration but a rare one of a woman dressed for more than shopping

Nothing says action like sitting down! That said, at least she is dressed for action. I have recently found myself scrolling (for hours) through Pinterest captivated by fashion illustrations from the first half of the 20th century, and largely focused on the menswear illustrator Laurence Fellows. I have @GreyFox to thank for the introduction – as I do for so many insights and explorations into men’s style.

A fine example of a Laurence Fellows illustration – the detail (espadrilles!) and style are glorious

As noted by the Grey Fox, the gentlemen depicted in Fellow’s illustrations are largely, older, incredibly dapper, dressed appropriately for each activity, and I have to say – extremely fit. In an ideal world for men, they all would be 6’1″, broad shoulders slim hips, and just enough muscle to do a few laps in an Olympic-sized pool before cocktails. Here are a few fine examples of the man he portrays:

Note the grey hair and receding hairline.Looking mighty fine in his boxers

And then at work:

No apologies for age

As with so many things on the internet, one obsession leads to another, and I was determined to find the equivalent for women – to absolutely no avail. Lovely illustrations of young women in beautiful dresses, lounging, shopping are everywhere,

and then this one of a young lady struggling to get out of a car:

This skirt is too long and tight

A woman does need a few role models and while these were not found in fashion they were around in real life with women like these:

No, we’re not smiling for the cameraI’ll stand on top of this building cause I feel like itAnnemarie Schwarzenbach, the adventurer, and clearly doing her own thing

If you think about advertising today, not much has changed. In the real world, women are operating in virtually every field at all levels (not so much at the very top) and yet most depictions are delivered through the male gaze – or at least, what we believe to be the male gaze. I wonder if men find the images of made-up 15 year olds as attractive and alluring as we believe? I give them more credit.

We know that all women love to see a grey-haired model wearing beautiful clothes and living an interesting, engaging life, because we’re all going in that direction. Like I did on my browsing binge, you have to look for the images that inspire you. Of course, you will always find them here.

A few things to catch up on this weekend. Some mind-blowing (Cindy Gallop interview), some illuminating (women drinking too much), women have been in STEM for decades (Beatrice Shilling and Mercury 13).

How did I not know about this podcast?

The Role Models Podcast: The Role Models Podcast is a series of interviews that captures and shares the stories of inspiring women. These are far-reaching conversations with female leaders we look up to. We discuss how they got to where they are – including the lessons they’ve learned, the decisions they’ve made, and the challenges they’ve tackled. And start with this one with Cindy Gallop – a dose of straight talking.